Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi received French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday in New Borg El-Arab City for the inauguration of Senghor University's new headquarters, an occasion that also served as the backdrop for substantive bilateral talks covering the Middle East's most pressing crises.
The French and Egyptian presidents during the inauguration © ENS
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi received French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday in New Borg El-Arab City for the inauguration of Senghor University's new headquarters, an occasion that also served as the backdrop for substantive bilateral talks covering the Middle East's most pressing crises.
Al-Sissi welcomed Macron's visit as a reflection of the "outstanding Egyptian-French friendship," noting the remarkable progress in bilateral relations since their elevation to a strategic partnership during Macron's April 2025 visit to Cairo.
Both presidents agreed on the need to further strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, education, industry and transport.
Founded in 1990 and named after Léopold Sédar Senghor, the celebrated poet, philosopher and first president of Senegal, Senghor University is a unique international institution dedicated to French-language higher education in service of African development.
It offers master's programmes in four strategic areas: environment, administration, culture and health, disciplines directly aligned with the continent's most pressing development challenges.
The university has over three decades trained generations of African professionals and civil servants, making it one of the most distinctive academic institutions in the French-speaking world.
A modern, inclusive campus
The new campus covers nearly 4.2 hectares and brings together state-of-the-art facilities designed to create a dynamic and inclusive learning environment. The site includes two academic buildings, an administrative building, a conference hall, a restaurant, four student dormitories, staff accommodation and a visitor centre.
Sports and wellness facilities, a gymnasium, a swimming pool, a multipurpose sports ground and squash courts, complete a campus designed to support students' academic and personal development in equal measure.
A symbolic moment for Francophone Africa
The presence of both Macron and Al-Sissi at the inauguration underscores the political and symbolic weight of the occasion. For France, Senghor University represents one of its most enduring investments in African higher education and soft power.
For Egypt, hosting the institution on its soil reinforces Cairo's role as a bridge between the Arab world and sub-Saharan Africa.
The new campus opens a fresh chapter for an institution whose mission, training Africa's future leaders in French, has never felt more relevant.
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